Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber presented Loveland with a certificate honoring the city's 150th anniversary, the city announced on its Facebook page.

The certificate recognizes Loveland's sesquicentennial, marking 150 years since the city's founding in 1876, and credits the community's continued reinvention and growth, the Clermont Guardian reported. It also calls Loveland the Sweetheart of Ohio, a nickname that appears on the city's official seal.

The state recognition specifically cites the conversion of former railroad tracks into the Little Miami Scenic Trail. That 78-mile trail connects 11 towns and five counties across southwestern Ohio. It recorded 1.79 million uses in 2024, according to Tri-State Trails monitoring data cited by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. The conservancy inducted the trail into its Hall of Fame in 2009.

The first 13-mile stretch, between Loveland and Morrow, opened in 1984. Rail service through town had ended a decade earlier, in 1974.

"We created a town square by the clock tower, put out these beautiful Adirondack chairs and kept expanding it and investing in amenities that support the people who are using the trail," City Manager Dave Kennedy told the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Loveland's history traces to 1795, when Col. Thomas Paxton established the area's first settlement along the Little Miami River. The community later grew around a railroad depot and general store run by James Loveland, for whom the city was named. It was incorporated as a village in 1876.

The certificate is the latest statewide honor for Loveland during its anniversary year. The city was also named one of Ohio Magazine's Best Hometowns for 2026–2027. Mayor Kathy Bailey said in an Aug. 4 city announcement that the Best Hometowns recognition reflects the pride residents, businesses, volunteers and community partners have in Loveland.

Sesquicentennial events continue throughout 2026. A self-guided History Walking Tour of historic landmarks is available, and residents can submit items for a new time capsule at Loveland City Hall through Oct. 30. The capsule will be sealed until 2076 and placed at the planned Nisbet Park Amphitheater.